Willamette University, founded in 1842, is a nationally-renowned private university enrolling 2800 students across five colleges. Our historic campus, adjacent to the Oregon State Capitol, hosts a distinguished undergraduate liberal arts college in Salem, Oregon. Our downtown Portland campus is home to the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA). We offer a wide range of professional graduate programs, including Oregon’s top-ranked MBA program, the Northwest’s oldest law school, as well as MA/MFA programs at PNCA and master’s degrees in data science and computer science.
Willamette University provides a high-value and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our Benefits Summary includes options for health, dental, life insurance, retirement, substantial paid time off, tuition and more. If you need assistance applying for a job or have any questions on recruitment at Willamette, please contact our HR Department, [email protected] or call us at 503-370-6210.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Assistant Dean for Career Planning & Development, who also holds a position as Assistant Professor of Experiential Learning, provides leadership, management, and direct student and alumni services in the area of professional development and career services. This position oversees all College of Law efforts to support students and alumni in obtaining employment, which is a high priority for the College. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, managing personnel; developing and maintaining a departmental budget; managing public relations, marketing and outreach to students, employers, and alumni; generating and providing reports on topics such as employment statistics and service usage; ensuring accurate and full compliance with complex ABA standards in the relevant areas of our program of legal education, including the collection and filing of information necessary for the annual ABA employment report; developing externship opportunities for students, teaching externship classes throughout the year, and ensuring that student externship experiences are robust and productive for all participants; and providing comprehensive programming and direct services to law students and alumni. The Assistant Dean is a participating member of the law school’s administrative team, and plans, develops, and implements relevant projects, policies, and procedures for the entire school. The Assistant Dean participates in the business and activities of the Oregon State Bar and various professional organizations and local bars. This position reports to the Dean of the College of Law.
Services to law students and alumni include, among others, the following activities:
Providing guidance and counseling to students and alumni for career planning and development.
Administering a variety of workshops and programs including overseeing interview and job fair programs.
Developing networking opportunities and contacts.
Providing web-based career resources, such as online job listings and newsletters for students and Alumni.
Developing externship opportunities for students, offering and teaching the Externship course, and supervising contact with students and externship supervisors to ensure a quality externship program.
Administering collection of employment data.
Participating in local and state Bar and/or other professional activities.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Public Relations/Marketing/Outreach to Students, Alumni and Employers
Develop and maintain professional relationships with prospective employers, attorneys and judges in all areas of law, and in JD advantage employment areas to identify or lay the groundwork for job opportunities in various markets.
Participate in local and state bars and/or other professional activities and organizations.
Communicate regularly with students and alumni about jobs, networking opportunities, professional programs, and career connections.
Help to implement Willamette Law vision for the role of employers in licensure processes, including the role of employers as supervising attorneys in non-traditional pathways to licensure.
Represent Willamette Law when attending professional organizational or alumni events.
Work with the College of Law Development Director to increase donor opportunities for career programs and connections for students and alumni.
Externship Program Development, Oversight, and Instruction
Work with students and prospective employers to continue and enhance the number of externship opportunities for students throughout the year.
Plan and implement communication with students and externship supervisors regarding externship requirements, and coordinate or participate in site visits throughout the year to ensure that students are receiving the benefits expected from their externship placements.
As Assistant Professor of Experiential Learning: plan, teach, administer, and assess the internal instructional component of the Externship class, including through the development and revision of course materials and exercises and the assessment of student performance in assignments; ensure compliance with ABA standards regarding faculty supervision of student work in field placements / externships.
Develop an integrated plan to help externship programming provide students with a pathway to permanent positions after graduation.
Reporting & Statistical Surveys
Oversee and participate in the collection and in analyzing employment statistics for the ABA, U.S. News, NALP, and Willamette Law.
Prepare and present employment data reports to the Dean and faculty, including internal tracking of individual student profiles and employer needs.
Direct Services to Students and Alumni
Strategize with and provide guidance to students and alumni on career goals, paths, and steps for achieving their goals through one-on-one counseling, virtual appointments, group sessions, and newsletters.
Review job application materials for students and alumni.
Develop and present with the Career Team various career related workshops, employer information panels, and other career related student and alumni training.
Provide opportunities for students to attend networking and professional events.
Provide alumni and attorney contacts for students and alumni informational interviews and networking.
Administer the Attorney-Mentor Program for 1L students.
Oversee various career programs such as the pro bono honors program, public interest law, on campus interviewing (OCI), mock interviews, and judicial clerkships.
Collaborate with staff and faculty on programming.
Collaborate with student affinity groups and organizations.
Incorporate the ABA 303 Professional Identity Program goals into OCPD programs.
Serve as instructor of record for Fall "Legal Analysis for the Bar" course by assisting likely January graduates with career and bar preparation in this primarily asynchronous course intended to prepare graduates for licensure and other professional hurdles immediately after graduation. Starting with institutional bar provider-developed materials, work with students to ensure they are moving through assignments, meet with students both remotely and in person, review student work, and assess performance while ensuring that students are developing expertise to successfully navigate post-graduate gateways to practice.
Additional Administrative Duties
Develop and oversee departmental budget.
Engage in strategic planning for OCPD, incorporating best practices for career and professional development.
Manage operations of OCPD including supervision of Associate/Assistant Directors, other support staff, and student workers, if any.
Coordinate with University career services offices and employees to take advantage of synergies in technology, training, and employment opportunities.
Other duties or projects, including University committee services, as assigned by the Dean.
QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum
Degree: Juris Doctor from an ABA accredited law school or other relevant advanced degree.
Experience: 4 to 5 years relevant professional experience with a preference for applicants with legal or other relevant job experience.
Strong leadership skills and ability to conceive and execute a strategic vision.
Excellent oral and written communication skills including presentation skills.
Strong problem-solving, design thinking (thinking in such a way as to produce a new concept or idea), detail oriented, ability to work under pressure, and organizational skills.
Commitment to legal education and cultural diversity.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and professionally with students, staff, faculty, alumni, employers, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, and with intersectional identities.
Technical Skills: comfortable with social media tools; proficiency in Zoom or other remote platforms, Google Workspace Suite, and Microsoft Office systems; ability to learn new software systems quickly such as 12Twenty law career software.
Preferred
Significant experience in legal or other relevant job markets.
Prior experience in career services and/or professional development.
Demonstrated success in enhancing and expanding professional opportunities for students and alumni.
Demonstrated understanding of the changing landscape of employment opportunities for law students and graduates particularly in the Pacific Northwest and especially in Oregon.
Typical Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, some evening and weekend work; occasional travel may also be required in connection with employer visits.
Physical Demands & Working Conditions: Typical work is performed indoors in a normal office environment.
Salary: $105,000
You will need to upload the following two documents as part of your application materials in the "My Experience" section labeled Resume:
Applications will be reviewed upon receipt, until the position is filled.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENT:
All University positions require that candidates submit to a criminal conviction record check prior to hire. Conviction does not automatically preclude candidates from being hired. Nature of conviction will be considered relative to the duties of the position.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS:
Please read the following carefully before beginning the online application process. To be considered for employment at Willamette University, please complete our online employment application. Your application and all required attachments - listed at the bottom of the page - must be submitted for each individual job post that you are interested in applying. Once you submit your application you will not be able to edit your application.
